TIRUVARUR: “As we stand at the crossroads in the history of our great nation, it is important to imbibe the spirit of M Karunanidhi’s governance model at the national level,” RJD leader and Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav said. He was speaking after inaugurating the ‘Muthuvelar Library’ at Kalaignar Kottam, a memorial for former chief minister and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, at Kattur near Tiruvarur on Tuesday.
Tejashwi said Karunanidhi was a great advocate of social justice and instrumental in implementing several policies and initiatives aimed at addressing social inequalities and uplifting marginalised communities.
“Karunanidhi was instrumental in implementing and expanding reservation policies to help SCs, STs and OBCs get access to education, government jobs and increased political representation. Karunanidhi also worked for promoting Tamil language and culture, fighting against discrimination and inequalities based on language,” Tejashwi said.
Karunanidhi was instrumental in bringing measures to enhance women’s participation in politics such as reservation in local bodies. “He actively supported anti-caste movements and challenged social hierarchies by promoting inter-caste marriages. Karunanidhi’s ideas serve as a compass guiding us towards a future where social justice and equality flourish and the marginalised find comfort,” Tejashwi said.
Chief Minister M K Stalin has been carrying forward the social justice legacy of Karunanidhi, he added. “We, under the able guidance of Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar, are keeping the flag of socialism, secularism and social justice high in Bihar. Though we are geographically located thousands of miles away, the Dravidian model shaped largely by Karunanidhi inspires us too,” Tejashwi said.